Homeschool parents sometimes shy away from teaching advanced classes at home. Especially during the high school years, parents may question themselves as teachers, citing a lack of experience in certain subjects, or the inability to remember much of anything they learned in high school anyway.

Even with an expensive curriculum and a great set of lesson plans in hand, it is very common for parents to question their own ability to understand high school material. Feeling they must be able to “teach” the material and be qualified to help solve problems, too, the anxiety over teaching the tough stuff can be too much for some parents to bear.

In these cases, one of two things usually happens: (1) either parents end up teaching weakly diluted versions of tough courses — not rigorous enough to qualify as high school work — by using easier texts or teaching only chapters they can understand; or, (2) they omit advanced courses from the high school curriculum altogether.

So, while most homeschooled teens receive a top-notch education in high school, at least in some homes, teens are being under-served.

Do you understand the impact of skipping the tough stuff in high school?

Let me explain how this practice is both counter-productive and unfair:

Avoiding advanced coursework in high school means teens may miss out on key classes needed for college, jobs, and adult life.

Imagine a student applying to college without the high school prerequisites, and not getting in? Imagine a student managing to land a job after high school, but missing the important skills to really be successful?

Skipping upper-level classes can rob students of great experiences.

Imagine a student not taking a class he might have excelled in? Imagine a student not being exposed to a subject she might have really loved? Now imagine if those same students had chosen those areas to major in at university, leading to careers they really enjoyed — but were never given that opportunity?

Avoiding hard work teaches nothing, except how to avoid hard work.

What’s wrong with struggling anyway? Will everything in life always be easy? Children whose parents gloss over the tough stuff may be more apt to do it themselves. Teens who are taught how to escape hard work may never know the satisfaction of conquering something really tough on their own.

When homeschooling high school, there is NOTHING wrong with a parent admitting he or she cannot teach a class, and finding other ways for their students to learn.

Do you know anyone who can teach everything?

When approaching tough subjects in high school, just assume there is a way for your teen to learn without you, and set out to find it. You will.

Even the toughest high school classes (think: Physics, Calculus, AP U.S. History or Macro-Economics) can be successfully taught in homeschool with little help from parents at all. Research tells us that students succeed in homeschooling regardless how much education their parents have anyway.

There is no need to shy away from the tough stuff any more. Let me know if you need help finding the right products.

Just getting started? Worried your homeschool is in need of a tune-up?

No matter your style of homeschooling, you’ll want to keep track of the things you do. From subjects the kids study to the list of books they’ve read, it’s nice to have a record of the learning year.

Many families enjoy recording all the things that happen during homeschool, and do it as a way of documenting the childhood years. But, it’s important to note that many states actually require homeschool records, too. That’s why it’s important to have a system in place for dropping papers and tracking dates in case you need them again.

There are lots of different ways for keeping homeschooling information. It can be helpful to hear how other families do it, before creating a personalized system of your own.

These are 3 easy ways for families to store important papers, and keep track of the learning that occurs each year:

Tote, Box or Bin

A popular way to keep track of important homeschool “stuff” is by dropping it in a large box, tote or bin. Keeping things stored in one place means they’re always available in the same spot every single time. While this may not seem like the most organized way to store projects and paperwork, it does guarantee that kids always have a place to leave things for mom or dad, and save things that are important to them. Plus, it makes sure that nothing important ever gets thrown away or misplaced throughout the year. Ask any parent who has spent an entire day searching for a single, very important homeschool piece of paper, and you’ll hear how valuable this really is!

Filing System

Another way to store homeschooling data and work samples is in tabbed file folders. Instead of putting everything into one giant box, file folders help organize related materials together, making for much easier access later on. Depending on the family and the homeschooling style, files could be created for every child, every subject, or both. Additional files can be created for other things to save, such as web sites for school use, books completed, special projects assigned, activities done as a family, legal documents, grades or test scores, photographs of the children, flyers and pamphlets collected while on field trips, or anything else that is important enough to save. Since larger projects cannot fit into folders, taking photos of projects or storing them somewhere else may be necessary. Note: If file folders are not available, large envelopes, stacking paper trays or rolling storage carts with drawers can be used instead.

Digital Collection

Digital technology makes it possible to store vast amounts of homeschooling data in one small space. Taking digital photos of projects and people, and scanning individual documents is a third option. While this could be time-consuming at first, developing a habit of working primarily online, and saving work electronically will eventually reduce the amount of time it takes to create digital records, ultimately eliminating the need to use paper at all. To satisfy the desire to have a hard copy (to display on the coffee table or show grandparents), some families like to create a photo collage, scrap book, or other showcase for every child, and have it professionally printed (think SnapFish or Shutterfly) as a book or spiral-bound journal at the end of each year.

pamphlets, ticket stubs, brochures and other memorabilia collected throughout the year

transcripts, report cards, grades

class descriptions, course syllabi, names of books/curriculum used

journals written by kids, notes or lesson plans developed by parents

lab reports, research papers, other specialized assignments

records of learning accomplished in a day, week, month or year

In one of my books, I devote whole chapters to homeschool record-keeping, household organization, lesson planning and more. I cover everything I talked about in this article, plus I’ve included sample forms, charts, and schedules, too. To see that book, click here.

To organize the entire homeschool year, you might like:

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

So, you’re ready for college and the acceptance letters are starting to roll in. Congratulations! I’m sure you’ll rock it.

Good vibes aside, how are you going to pay for it all? Even after the federal grants come out and the work-study is distributed for the year, most families still have a “parent contribution” to contend with.

And that tuition isn’t going to pay itself.

That’s where scholarships come in. Believe me, they help big time. In fact, for many students, they make the difference between going to college or not.

Just so you know, a scholarship is money that doesn’t need to be paid back. As in, free. You don’t pay any interest, and there usually aren’t any terms other than staying in school and getting a ‘B’ average.

Scholarships are either one-time awards or — if you’re lucky – sometimes last all four years. They come in all different dollar amounts, starting at $50 or $100 up to reaching even $10,000 or even more (think: “full ride”).

College scholarships are awarded on the basis of many different things:

I know, I know. They ask for a lot of information you are hesitant to provide, or prefer your student not to answer. Unfortunately, this is a time to get over all privacy concerns and feelings about over-sharing. Supply whatever is being asked, and try not to think too much about it again. (If you want your student to win scholarships, that is.)

Leave no stone un-turned. Seriously. Ask everyone you know if they offer a scholarship, or if they know of scholarships anywhere else.

Additionally, find out if your state offers scholarships that homeschoolers are eligible for. Often, just by completing a financial aid application, students become automatically eligible to receive state money.

Look specifically for homeschool organizations that offer scholarships (statewide groups, legal organizations, local chapters, co-ops, mentoring organizations, volunteer groups, and so on). And if you belong to an organization that does not have one, ask if they’d consider funding a scholarship this year.

There is no need to pay anyone to find scholarships for you. It’s easy enough to do alone. If you must, you must. But, if you and your student make a schedule and stick to it daily, a few minutes a day will add up to a long list of eligible scholarships within a few weeks.

When searching, look carefully at all information, making sure you’re finding the most recent criteria and application deadlines.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

There are limitless possibilities for course combinations during the high school years. Between taking core courses, electives, practical skills, personal interests and areas of specialization toward future goals, high schooling can be customized in so many different ways.

In addition to grade-level experiences, some teens also enjoy adding college courses into the high school mix.

Attending college early — while still in high school – is a great way to access advanced material.

It can also result in earning college credit, too!

Here are 3 ways for homeschoolers to earn college credit while in high school. Though each has its pros and cons, they all yield the same result — college credit BEFORE high school graduation.

The first method is using CLEP examinations. Students learn course material using any number of methods, then register to take exams in any of 33 different areas covered by CLEP. Students able to demonstrate mastery with a passing score earn college credit in each particular area. Those courses do not need to be repeated once the student gets to college.

Another way to earn early college credit is by taking APexams. When preparing for AP (Advanced Placement) exams, students take very rigorous courses in high school, and must pass corresponding AP examinations for every AP course attempted. Passing scores on AP tests can result in college credit at many institutions.

A final way to get college credits during high school is by participating in a district- and state-approved dual enrollment program. By taking courses on a local college campus, homeschoolers will receive the same education as college students do, plus earn credit for all courses completed there. Credits earned may be applied toward an eventual college degree, and in most cases, will never need to be repeated in the future.

Bear in mind that college is not for everyone, and not all teens may be ready for college-level work while in high school. But for those who are, earning early college credit is an excellent way to gain access to advanced courses, decrease the number of credits needed to finish a degree and save money (in tuition costs) in the long run.

Would you like to know more about early college credit and dual enrollment?

Join me on Monday as I discuss dual enrollment on the Vintage Homeschool Moms program, with host Felice Gerwitz.

Listen LIVE on Monday, August 25, 2014 at noon EST, and bring your questions!

Tell your friends!

Have you ever wondered how to teach science without a lab? Perhaps you have just chosen not to assign the labs, or have given up on teaching science altogether.

I want you to know that labs are very important. They allow students hands-on practice with ideas they have only read about, deepen understanding of course material, and — for some students – are the preferred way to learn. For many kids, they can also be fun!

Obviously, some science classes do not require a formal lab. But many benefit greatly by having a lab component.

High schoolers in particular need to take labs if they are applying to college. For them, these labs are not optional — college acceptance actually depends on it. (Read more about college requirements HERE.)

I am about to share with you some options for families without a fully equipped science lab. These are particularly helpful when trying to fulfill a lab requirement for biology or chemistry. But know that lab options exist for lots of other sciences, too.

Some families choose to co-op science labs. When homeschool parents gather together, they have more impact and power than teaching labs alone. Supplies can be purchased at a discount, or shared if there aren’t enough to go around (i.e., tweezers and microscopes). Parents skilled in lab procedures can do the teaching, and others can help with supervision and clean-up. Co-ops are a cost effective way to teach labs, and are successful in many areas around the country. (What’s a co-op?)

Another option is the lab intensive. When a regularly scheduled lab isn’t available, sometimes cramming an entire year’s worth of labs into one weekend can fill that need. Companies catering specifically to this need are offering lab camps (sometimes called “intensives”) from coast to coast. (See Landry Academy as an example.)

One of my favorite options for labs at home is the virtual lab. Click the links throughout this blog as you read, to see examples of some of the free virtual labs that are available.

The virtual lab

Safe and hygienic, available 24/7 and repeatable any number of times, virtual labs can be completed from any room in the house, by any number of students alone, or together. As a bonus, many virtual labs can be found free online.

Virtual labs exist for dissecting animals like frogs, sharks, pigs, cats, plus animal parts (such as owl pellet or cow’s eye). Detailed illustrations and close up photographs allow students to get inside animal parts without needing to do it themselves. Explanations make it possible for biology students to study dissections thoughtfully, and to experience an almost hands-on sensation of being there — without the odor, expense, and [for some students] squeamishness that often accompanies labs of this kind.

Virtual labs are widely available for plant and animal cell studies, too, offering topics like cell division, reproduction, respiration, heredity and genetics studies and more. The kinds of labs are valuable in situations when supplies are unavailable, and are particularly beneficial in cases where intense magnification is needed, but no microscope is present in the home. (Did you know that can find lab on using microscopes, too?)

For students taking Earth Science, virtual labs can illustrate processes like erosion, glacial land changes, weather patterns and the effects of thermal energy. Chemistry studies may be supplement with labs mixing common solutions, or not-so-uncommon solutions without the risk of injury. Criminology and Forensic Science labs are available for blood typing, fingerprinting, and other procedures associated with crime scene analysis.

Finding virtual labs can take a bit of investigation on the part of families. Paid subscription services are available (see Online Chem Labs and Late Night Labs as examples) and free lab simulations can be obtained from textbook companies, science web sites, colleges, universities, museums and research centers.

Keep in mind that virtual labs are no less serious than actual hands-on labs, and should be treated the same way as any other course component. Students should be assigned a lab notebook, and taught to take good notes, ask relevant questions and seek out additional information if they do not understand. If course credit is to be awarded, lab reports should be turned in — and graded – for every lab in the course.

For further reading, click:

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschooling pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, is industry-acclaimed as it illustrates how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com.

By now, you understand the importance of taking the right courses, prioritizing extra-curriculars and preparing for tests so you can earn great scores. Following that advice, you’ll graduate successfully and be ready to rock the college world.

But there is still one step left, and it’s a big one — “marketing” yourself (a/k/a reminding colleges why they should pick you). This is not the time to be timid about your accomplishments, because college acceptance depends on it. For best results, you’ll really need to toot your own horn.

So, how exactly do homeschooled Seniors communicate with the colleges of their choice? And what does it actually take to get their attention?

1. For starters, there’s the application — a time-consuming but fairly straight-forward process. Applicants should submit the best application they can, by answering all questions honestly, by writing well, and by remembering not to leave out anything important. Writing a great application already starts making you look good.

But since so many students apply, and because many applications look somewhat the same, you’ll need to do a little more than submit a good application to get noticed. You’ll want to attach extra documentation to convince someone to choose you instead of somebody else.

So, to stand out — and I mean really grab somebody’s attention in the admissions office – teens should include some of these documents, too:

2. A killer Freshman Resume — which is like a flyer or a marketing brochure, except it’s all about you. Create one that summarizes who you are, lists a whole bunch of cool things you’ve done and highlights several of your proudest accomplishments in more detail.

3. A knock-out transcript — and not just an ordinary one, either. One with your test scores and grade point average; one listing your honors courses, AP courses and early college credits; one that looks great and has been edited for grammar, spelling and mathematical accuracy; and one that clearly demonstrates you’re not the same as everybody else, but have taken lots of substantial, relevant and fascinating electives, too. You’ll find an example of a basic transcript HERE.

4. A list of course descriptions — that you attached to the back of your transcript. List all the classes on your transcript and explain each in a little bit of detail. Include what you studied, the books you read, and maybe some of the assignments you completed. You can copy course descriptions from other places if they match exactly what you did. But it’s better if you write up every course as it was uniquely completed by you — and not by anybody else. That makes you stand out, too.

5. Examples of your work — if they’ll accept it (and not all colleges do). Re-read a previous post in this series to get ideas.

Finally, if possible, shoot for:

6. A personal interview — during which you start by being yourself, proceed by responding intelligently to questions, and end by explaining why you’ll be a good fit for the college and what you’d like to do once you get there.

Combining these elements is the best way to get noticed by the colleges you apply to. Chances are, they’ll notice, and your efforts will pay off for the next four years.

Need more high school information? Click the “high school” tag (below) and just follow the trail.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

This topic is one of those good news/bad news kind of things. I don’t want to burst your bubble, reader, but it’s best you know the truth right off the bat.

The good news is that more and more colleges are finding other ways to evaluate their applicants, and no longer placing so much emphasis on SAT or ACT scores any more. Some colleges have even become test-optional, meaning they no longer require those tests at all. They — the test optional schools – are allowing students to demonstrate their mastery and skills in other ways. If you read the previous article in this series, you’ll understand why this is such great news.

The bad news is it’ll probably take some time (maybe even a long time) before all colleges see the logic and follow suit. Meaning, if you’re applying to colleges today, or in the next few years, you’ll be among the millions of students (yes, millions) taking the SAT or ACT for college admissions each year. You might even be taking the new Classic Learning Test that just came out, the “CLT”.

Armed with this data, you’ll need to be ready — ready to ace the test (as in ready for the English, the Math and maybe the Writing portions), and ready to sit and actually take the test (a different matter altogether).

When homeschooling high school, remember, time is on your side. There is plenty of time to get ready — if you start early and plan things out.

In 9th and 10th grades, begin looking at old tests. Pick up some study guides or find some online. With a parent’s permission, open an account on the College Board web site and/or the ACT Student Site; and start poking around.

In 10th or 11th grade, take the practice SAT exam. This test (called PSAT) is given in the fall, once a year. Contact your local high school to find out when and where to go. Keep up your grades in your regular coursework, and make sure to address any areas that may be troubling you. Remember, you’ll be tested on English (including reading), math, and (your choice) writing for the SAT. The ACT includes a science test, too.

If you want, you can enroll in a study course, too. I recommend multiple modes of studying, as they each offer a little something different, and the more the better.

In both 11th and 12th grades, take the SAT or the ACT — or both. Some teens test better on one or the other. Take the test at least once in 11th grade and again early in 12th grade. Because taking the tests offer practice (and usually higher scores each time), some teens actually take the tests 3 times or more.

With planning and practice, every homeschooled teen can be ready for standardized tests. It’s never a good idea to wait until the last minute, so knowing what to expect will give you a major leg up over the other students who wait until Senior year.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

I have been talking a lot about courses and curriculum — hands-down, the basis of any good high school plan.

But today, I want to talk about things outside of the regular curriculum. Things that are not always included in the course line-up. Things that don’t always appear on a transcript. And, often, things that have nothing to do with traditional academics at all.

Homeschooling high school is more than just taking classes and earning credits. It’s about learning and expansion in other areas, too. Like competitive sports, performing arts, media production, leadership roles in clubs and camps, inventions and product development, travel, community service, running micro-businesses and all of the other things that teens are passionate about, that fill their days, and fuel their curiosities.

Try to include as many of those things on your transcript as you can, if it seems appropriate to list them (as courses, or as clubs or extra activities along the bottom). Sometimes, there’s no other place to tell colleges about the great things you do.

On the other hand, a brief description on a piece of paper isn’t always enough to describe what the experience was about, what you learned, and what it meant to you. Even a carefully worded course description lacks the impact of an actual product submission, an original screenplay, an original song, a well-produced video, a Power Point presentation, or a live presentation to really illustrate what it is, and what you did.

If you can, try to look for colleges that allow the submission of extra projects. Find out whether the school you’re applying to will accept a link to a video or photo collage. Ask if you can mail in a sample of your work. Or, if you can meet with a an admissions officer to explain what you’ve been up to.

It’s important to tell colleges about all the things you did during the high school years. But college-bound high schoolers should also try look for ways to stand out, not just by telling, but by showing. Extra-curricular projects, activities and contributions like these are very appealing to colleges (and scholarship committees). They explain who you are and set you apart from all the other applicants. They not only illustrate your strengths, but suggest ways you might contribute while on campus, too.

When homeschooling high school, don’t limit yourself to what is found in a book, a series of lectures or an online course. Remember to pursue other things that interest you, too and dig deeper into areas that will make an impact on your college application. These experiences just might tip the scales in your favor, resulting in the college acceptance letter of your dreams.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

Now, you’re going to hear about an area that makes an even bigger difference — writing. Writing is very important.

You already understand the advantages of homeschooling: flexibility in scheduling, freedom to choose courses, plenty of time to study whatever you like, and more. Well, guess what? It’s those same advantages that make it easily possible to become a good writer in high school. In fact, with all those great benefits, there’s really no excuse for a homeschooler not to become a good writer.

Writing is important in more ways than students realize. Writing (sometimes called Composition) as an academic subject is one thing, but remember that writing helps across the entire curriculum, making it possible to succeed in all other areas, too. Plus, writing helps create knock-out Freshman Resumes (I’ll tell you about that in the next article), score well on standardized writing tests, write winning scholarship essays, conquer college application essays, and more.

It’s silly not to take advantage of the high school years to learn to write. Many students already do. But if you haven’t been one of them, well…now’s the time.

Not learning to write — and write well – is just harming yourself. Really.

All that being said, not every mom and dad is comfortable teaching writing. Not every student knows exactly where to begin, either. It’s okay. That’s where courses, curriculum and tutors come in. Use them liberally if you must.

The takeaway from this lesson is to include some quality form of writing instruction you can trust. For at least a couple of years — or, better yet, throughout high school. If you plan on getting into college, that is.

Becoming a good writer takes time, practice and feedback. It isn’t something you can pick up by reading a book and it isn’t something that can be mastered during the last semester of high school, either. Start early, and write often.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.

If you’ve been homeschooled any length of time, you already understand how many choices there are for homeschooling the high school years.

You may:

follow the same curriculum and take the same courses as teens in traditional high schools;

do things differently, even as radically as not taking those subjects at all;

or, anything along the vast continuum of options in between.

Having options is the trademark of homeschooling — freedom of choice. Right? Right.

Also keep in mind as you’re reading this, that no matter what kind of homeschooler you are, there is a college out there for you — uniquely you.

Here’s the catch, though. Colleges are going to want to know who you are, what you took in high school, what you’ve been doing so far, and — of particular interest to them – what you’ll bring to the table when you get there.

Unless you select an open admissions college, one that admits every student who applies, or one with no requirements whatsoever (pretty hard to find), it’s a fact. You can’t get around it. At least not as of this writing.

So, freedom aside, let’s talk reality.

The truth is, colleges want to know you’ve covered the basics — English, math, science, history, foreign language, and so on. So, whether you’re learning these things in the form of traditional high school courses (lessons, books or lectures), or whether you’re learning this stuff through exploration and experiencing them on your own, they need to be there. On your transcript. By the time you apply.

Imagine a student graduating from an American high school today. He or she has probably completed (hopefully successfully, with decent grades) the following classes:

4 English courses (including lots of writing)

4 math courses (including Algebra and math “higher” than that)

3 science courses (usually, a couple that had labs)

2 or 3 social science courses (like history or geography)

at least a couple of foreign language classes (sometimes called World Languages)

a couple of arts courses (like music, art or theater)

at least 1 or 2 health, P.E. or fitness courses

maybe an online course or two

maybe a computer class, or something in the technologies

and a whole bunch of electives (sometimes focusing in the same general area)

Which means, if you’re applying to college, you should probably be taking those kinds of classes in high school, too.

Do you need to do all of them? Exactly the same ones? Can you take more, less or different classes? No, no and yes. And you can learn the material differently than other teens, too.

But the reality is that admissions officers — at most colleges – expect to see mastery in those areas on a high school transcript. So you’ll need to cover those skills, too.

Your job now is to figure out how and when you’ll knock those classes out during high school. So you’ve got the same, or similar, or more of the same stuff as other applicants to.

Dr. Marie-Claire Moreau is a college professor who traded in her tenure to become a homeschool mom 20+ years ago. A homeschool pioneer and the founder of many groups and organizations, she works to advance home education, and is an outspoken supporter of education reform coast to coast. Her book, Suddenly Homeschooling: A Quick Start Guide to Legally Homeschool in Two Weeks, was industry-acclaimed for illustrating how homeschooling can rescue children and families from the public school system, and how anyone can begin homeschooling within a limited time-frame, with no teaching background whatsoever. A writer, a homeschool leader, and a women’s life coach, Marie-Claire mentors in a variety of areas that impact health, education and lifestyle. A conference speaker, she has appeared at FPEA, H.E.R.I., Home Education Council of America, The Luminous Mind, Vintage Homeschool Moms, iHomeschool Network, and many other events. Her articles have appeared in and on Holistic Parenting, CONNECT,Homefires, Homemaking Cottage, Kiwi, Circle of Moms, and hundreds of sites and blogs nationwide. Marie-Claire can be reached at contactmarieclaire@gmail.com. Her latest book, The Ultimate Guide to Florida Homeschooling, is now available on Amazon.